Weekend crowd at Barcode Vauxhall's midweek opening night
We went to Barcode Vauxhall's opening night yesterday. I loved the place, as you step in you forget you are in yet another reclaimed railway arch in Vauxhall.
The new Barcode is sleek and big; at around 5,000 sq. ft, it must be the largest gay bar in London now. Last night it was packed by hundreds of eager punters who looked more and more handsome as my G&Ts kicked in. Dr B. swears the venue looks very much like a bar in New York, but could not tell which one. It certainly is a long way from the usual spit and sawdust decor of British pubs. I made sure I paid my compliments to the architect (lovely chap, a friend's friend I have met a few times). He was particularly proud of the DJ booth in the dancefloory room at the far end, in the shape of an oversized letter 'b'.
I spotted one of the staff from my gym there: the picture of health and clean living, drink in one hand and cigarette in the other. I bet he, like me, was not in this morning before work.
We got home at midnight, via the corner shop. You see, it's this new Paul McKenna 'I Will Make You Thin' philosophy whereby when you are hungry, you must eat, otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and slows down its metabolism in order to survive. Last night I made sure my body understood that there is no shortage of bread and cheese and houmous, and that it need not worry. Dr B.'s body has been equally reassured that there is enough icecream around. Or rather, there was. And then there wasn't.
I fell asleep on the couch, woke up with the dried-up rind from a bacon rasher stuck on my cheek and my head clamped in a vice.
And this is why I don't usually go out on a schoolnight.